Jiggsaw
by BigGuysLittleBoys
Summary: What if the DWMA had noticed that Marie was making Stein extra crazy? In a tumble of events branching off from the anime's canon, we follow the story of Justin - a character who's not hiding his true self, yet he is still much deeper than he appears on the surface - and his blossoming, unique relationship with the demon saw. Please try it. Giriko x Justin


A/N: This is a Giriko x Justin fic heavy on side characters, plot and dialogue. Little bit of Stein x Justin as well.

It's set in the anime canon and we'll be deviating right at the battle for brew.

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Chapter 1: Re-Assignment

"My poor snowmobile..." the blonde hung effortlessly from a gnarled tree above the fresh layer of snow he'd agitated down the mountain, gazing wistfully at the spot covering his beloved pimped out vehicle. The older berserker he'd managed to bury along with it suddenly popped his head out of the snow, gnarling with intensifying rage as he was completely ignored by that arrogant kid priest - as usual. It was already fucking freezing (even though it was his own fault he'd under-dressed), and now there was snow wedging itself into all the crevices of his clothes, nipping at his raw skin.

"HEY!" The bastard non-nonchalantly turned his head.

"Oh, you again."

"Don't you fucking 'oh you' me! You're dead!" Giriko bursted forth from the snow and pointed bombastically, striking a dramatically aggressive pose.

"I am?" Justin pulled up his free gloved hand to his face to examine, turning it over. "Funny, it feels just like life."

"QUIT MESSING WITH ME!" A flurry of chains came rushing by, slicing the branch Justin was hanging from to ribbons. He let go and whirled towards the ground with the grace of a falling leaf, lodging the guillotine blades on his arms between the chains as he safely passed through them.

"It's not my fault you're so easily _riled up_ ," he chided with that frustratingly sultry voice of his that really got Giriko's gears turning, lidding his entrancing blue eyes with an equally enticing expression. The chainsaw revved up with a growl, seething, soaking in that unique cocktail of arousal and rage that the cheeky little priest almost purposely seemed to instigate in him. He threw himself straight at that clean, prim little body, craving to tear it up.

"Professor Stein!" the students emerged from the distortion in time to find that their winded professor and his assistant were still waiting for them to come back out.

Marie looked at them expectantly. They all grew tense.

"...Arachne's goons got it..." Maka reported with shame.

But Marie shook her head, unphased. "You're all here. That's what matters." Motherly Marie would have moved to embrace them, if she weren't preoccupied with the sorry state of the professor. Even being self absorbed with the failure of her mission, Maka couldn't help but notice how haggard her teacher was. It wasn't just the effects of the static field - it was his madness. Marie, moving her attention back to him too, tried to pull him closer, worry etched across her features. But as she did he burst out with sinister laughter, craning his head in an unnatural angle to look at Maka.

"Have you ever wanted to see your own insides, Maka?!" He cried in an excited shriek, his eyes wild and terrifying. Maka took a frightened step backwards - this was not that man that found it in him to serve the DWMA - this was a psychopath with no alignments, ready to lash out for no reason.

"Stop it, Stein!" Marie wrestled to reign him in as he flailed and cackled maniacally.

"You're being very unsatisfactory today." Justin huffed with annoyance, slicing through the last of a barrage of golems that were little more threat than a field of scarecrows. He'd been looking forward to a little fun, once he'd spotted Giriko. The fight so far had been a bag of cheap tricks and no real action. The real Giriko who was hiding by tunneling beneath the snow and misleading Justin with his theater of puppets knew and loathed this just as much, but if he didn't retreat soon he'd be surrounded by Shibusen forces.

One final dummy launched out of the snow and threw itself carelessly in Justin's path. Justin sliced it in half, the amusement completely drained from his face. He stood completely still and scanned his surroundings for any sign of the uncharacteristically cowardly little weasel - but it was too late. He was gone. Justin's disappointed gaze fell upon a single gear lying in the pile of snow the last golem had been decimated to. He bent down and took it in his palm, eyeing it with an unreadable expression, gripping it tightly as he made his way back to the shore.

Maka sat quietly, tucked sullenly into a corner of one of the fleet's boats next to her partner and the rest of their colleagues. They were all tired and disheartened from the loss of brew, no one was really in the mood for talking - but Maka for a different reason. Her brow was slightly furrowed with the effort of churning thoughts through her head - recalling instances and stringing them together with a new correlation. Realization flashed across her face as they all wove together.

"Hey Soul." The boy raised his head with attentiveness. "I... I think Marie is making Stein crazy." Saying that is what sounded crazy, but it's what the evidence was telling her. She couldn't ignore it.

"What? Are you sure? I mean, for all we know Stein would be way more bonkers without her around," but Maka shook her head with a determined frown.

"No. He keeps on getting noticeably worse when she gets close. I've seen it - several times. I'm sure."

"Oh my, is that really so?" The doting immature tone of the city master probed.

"Yes. I've been noticing it every time they're together." Maka re-explained to their headmaster.

"Hmmmm, that is a problem. We put them together for exactly the opposite reason. Marie was supposed to keep Stein's madness in check. How could this be?" Maka hung her head with a bit of embarrassment, disappointed that she wasn't able to offer a theory for that either, as much as she'd tried to come up with one. She felt like her report was incomplete without it. "Oh well! Before we worry about the why, we should re-assign them. Thanks for the heads up!" And just like that, he shooed them out of his office.

"Do you think Stein's going to be okay?" The girl fretted as they walked together down the hallway, restlessly wringing her gloved hands together.

"Who knows." Soul answered honestly and coolly. "But that's their problem - they'll take care of it. We've got plenty of other fish to fry." It was important that he keep his meister on track - she had a tendency to try and load too much onto her plate and let her big brain carry her away.

"...Yeah." She conceded, accepting Soul's wisdom. It was always surprising to her how good of a head he had for the big picture. Though she couldn't help but let her curiosity be rekindled as the weapon prodigy, Justin Law wordlessly glided past them towards Death's door.

"Oh most glorious and wondrous Lord~" Justin chanted, as he had been doing for the past ten minutes. Spirit was just about ready to explode - until thankfully, Stein and Marie entered the room.

"Now, Spirit." Death signaled. The redhead scooped up the cords of Justin's headphones with a vengeful glee, plucking the custom skull-shaped buds from his ears.

"Oh!" Justin gasped with the shock of a virgin being deflowered.

"Okay, so here's the deal! We're re-assigning you. Justin, Marie, you're switching places!" Everyone in the room did a double take, though Stein less visibly.

"That's an interesting choice. Justin is a combat specialist, not to mention his own meister." The scientist who was barely recovering from his lapse of madness passively chimed his doubts.

"Yeah, it's kinda complicated, but that's how it goes!" Death waved it off casually and vaguely as he could.

But Marie refused to accept that. "Why? I-Is there something I did wrong?" There was a small tremble in her voice. _Just when I was starting to settle in here..._

"Nah, it's nothing like that." Death dismissed.

"Then why! At least give me a reason!" There was a chord of hurt in her voice that rang all too clearly.

"I'll gladly do whatever you ask My Lord, however I must agree, I'm rather confused." Justin offered his own loose support.

"Hm, you really need to know, huh?" Death scratched his chin thoughtfully with his large, box-shaped fingers.

"Yes! I'm every bit capable of taking care of Stein! Why do I have to go?"

"Well, I guess there's no way around it. Marie, we think you're making Stein's condition worse. The students have been noticing he seems less stable when you're around." Leave it to Death to take the opinions of his adolescent students with such weight and not be afraid to say it.

"What?! B-But, that makes no sense!" Marie had no tools to qualm the swelling wave of emotions.

"Yeah, it's kind of a mystery. We think it's the fault of one of our enemies, but we don't really know. What we do know is that we need to separate you for the time being, however. I've chosen you, Justin, because you're unaffected by the madness. There's no one better to keep Stein in check." He explained calmly and patiently, as though trying to lead the way for everyone else to follow suit.

"Understood, My Lord."

Marie looked around at the room full of what seemed to be stone cold faces to her. Stein hadn't said a single word against it. She did her best to bite down her feelings and utter out in as even a tone as she could, "I see... are we dismissed?" Though it was blatantly bitter.

"Yeah, you can go." Death said with the slightest hint of sympathy. Marie took off as quickly as she could without breaking into an outright sprint from the room. Stein, a bit dumbstruck, merely stood there for a bit, then stared after her, wondering if he should have said something - what was probably going through her head right now.

"I am at your disposal, Stein-san. Your faithful weapon Justin awaits orders." The purposefully cheerful priest broke him from his reverie, stepping directly into his line of sight. Stein looked him up and down, sizing him up - but not the slightest hint of intention was showing in his soul.

"...right. Well Justin, you can start by moving into my lab. And... helping Marie move out." Stein ordered, taking a cigarette out at the stress of the last part.

"Very well, Stein-san. Shall we go?"

As they exited, Spirit sighed deeply. "Well, it's done. But something about that new match-up just doesn't seem right." To be honest, nothing could fit quite as right as Marie had seemed to - Spirit had a twist in his gut watching events go this way. He'd truly believed Marie was the best possible thing that could happen to Stein, for his sanity, and - hopefully as some one to finally help him emotionally.

"It's true. Justin not only has no meister because he doesn't need one, but he has trouble resonating with other people, too. But that shouldn't be a problem, since Stein can resonate with anyone."

"Even if Justin isn't affected by the madness, do you really think he can help Stein?" Spirit sounded doubtful. After all, Justin was obviously eccentric and asocial - he so often chose to ignore people for no reason with the excuse of his headphones.

"It's not like we really had any one else to pair him up with. At the very least, he can keep him in check. I'm sure that's how he sees his mission as well. He's more prepared to subdue Stein once he gives in, rather than prevent it. He's most comfortable with combat."

"? That doesn't sound like a tendency of some one with no madness at all!" Was there really no better option for his friend than to be left in the hands of Death's hitman priest?

"He is a troubled kid. He likes to fight, but not because of madness. And he's unlike any force I've ever seen. I shudder to think what we would be facing now if I hadn't adopted him into the academy in time."

The weapon did his best to shake the pessimism from his thoughts. It was what it was, what Death decided was best, and that's the way it had to be. "... the most deadly weapon and meister... well, if they are able to work together, perhaps we'll finish this battle before it has to start."

"I'm afraid not. Stein is in no condition to be out fighting any more. But besides that... the deciding factor of a fight isn't always who's strongest." Death glowed with a knowing aura.

Azusa passed by the women's restroom almost with a spidey-sense sort of coincidence. When she heard the reverberations of the telltale whimpers and sniffles, she sighed and steeled herself to hear another trivial sob story and be wailed on, pressing in the door. Just as she knew she would be - Marie was poured over the second sink. She curtly walked over and put a hand on Marie's shaking shoulder. Marie whipped her drenched face up. "A-Azusa!"

"Don't be so shocked. It would've been more difficult not to hear you. What is it this time?" Came the usual dry delivery, but upon inspecting Marie closer, Azusa saw more than the ordinary overly-sensitive gripe in her eyes. She was _really_ crying.

"I've been re-assigned." The dirty-blonde managed between sobs, pushing a mangled golden lock away from sticking to the tear streaks along the side of her face.

"...I see." Azusa knew Marie's history of never being able to settle, even though... that was all she wanted, and all she ever tried to do - putting so much work and effort into it, only to be betrayed or ripped away by circumstance. It was a recurring tragedy, and just because it kept on happening didn't make it easier any of the subsequent times... Azusa knew this instance hit particularly hard.

"It's so unfair... Stein needs me, but I can't help him... I want to... I was just starting to..." She fell into her friends' slim, stiff, strong arms - completely breaking down. The raven haired sniper simply stroked her head, letting her get it all out, unable to offer any better consolation.

"This is all you have?" Justin had just pulled up to Stein's laboratory with a single small trailer hooked to the back of his bike. In it was a single box of clothes, a box of miscellaneous Death paraphernalia and...

"Yes. As Death's faithful apostle I live on the move, only taking what I need."

"What you need." Stein glanced meaningfully at a pair of deluxe speakers nearly as tall as he was.

"Yes!" Justin beamed obliviously.

"Right, well. We can't really start moving you in until Marie moves out. You'll just have to wait until she shows up."

"Okay!" Justin made no move to come inside - he simply stayed where he was, sitting in the driveway. Stein sighed a bit at how jarring and awkward this transition was going to be, then headed inside with a wave.

Nearly an hour of jamming out later, the woman he was waiting for arrived, with moral support tagging along right beside her. Azusa headed straight inside without acknowledging Justin - how like her, right down to business. Marie however came up to him.

"Justin..." There was still a hint of red in her eyes, but she was making every effort to be taken seriously.

"Yes, Marie-san?" He earnestly peeped, ready for duty.

"...Stein is... he's confused. But he's a good man! He needs people who believe that about him..." Part of her wondered if any of this would really get through, but she had to try. "Please! I want you to promise me that you'll take care of him!" She took his hands - motherly Marie, unafraid of contact.

Justin smiled at her reassuringly. "...you have my word. It is my mission from Lord Death, it shall be done." The phrasing of it made her uneasy - there was something detached and insensitive about Justin that she didn't trust with something delicate like this, but there wasn't much more she could do.

"Thank you." A tear rolled down her cheek and dripped across their hands.

All of her things were packed together. Azusa was idling a full moving van outside. Marie knocked timidly on Stein's locked door. When she gathered that he wasn't going to open it, she piped up, "I'm... I'm going now."

"I see." Drifted over a distant, detached answer. How could everyone else adopt so easily to this?! Justin, Death, Stein - they all treat this change like it's nothing! Why did she have to be the only one worried, the only one heart broken, the only one who seemed to care? The tears welling in her dared to be spiteful - to feel used and unappreciated.

"...don't worry about me, Marie. You were always so much nicer than I deserved. Please, I don't want you to think about me anymore. It's not good for you - it never can be - I can't be fixed like you want me to be. You're actually better off away from me. I'm glad you can find some one better now." And suddenly her anger melted back into longing, dislodged misery.

"You're wrong! The fact that you want me to be happier - that's proof enough, Stein. That's all you need. You are good - you're getting better - you're going to keep on getting better," she was back to gushing with tears, only wishing that the last part could miraculously be true - with the same hopeful talk one uses with a terminally diseased patient.

"Marie..." Stein was thoughtful, almost considering what she had to say.

"I would stay. I would stay as long as it took..." Her words were heavy with promise. _I want to stay!_

"I don't feel the same. You need to go." There was no hint of mercy in his tone. It was a flat out rejection. Marie, devastated, ran straight for the van and didn't look back - not even as it rolled into the distance.

Justin, who hadn't let the dramatic exchange hinder him from moving his things in - casually walking back and forth through the hall, couldn't help but oversee the exchange. As Stein finally emerged from his room, looking solemn and lighting another cigarette, Justin couldn't help but ask. "Did you really mean that, Stein-san?"

"I absolutely did. A fragile hearted woman like that has no business with an unfeeling man like me - I will never feel the same, and she will never stop wanting me to. I can only hurt her." Justin gave a subtle smile. He half expected that Stein's unfeeling was a charade to help Marie move out and move on when she had to - it was refreshing to see something a little different - and to know that his new senior wouldn't be distracted with feelings of lost love.

Justin stepped into his largely empty new room. The colors Marie had chosen were a bit bright for his tastes. He preferred an austere range of grays, white and black... they helped him to focus on his faith. Well, since he'd be stationed here for awhile it seemed, he could appropriate the decorations later. Indeed, he likely wouldn't be moved until the kishin was defeated - and without him on the from lines, he had no real way to push along towards that goal... _Sometimes the Lord calls us to work in mysterious ways,_ Justin assuaged himself. But still, this meant...

He slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out the gear he'd salvaged from the snow, turning it over in his palm again and again, running his fingers along its ridges. "...it seems I won't be seeing you for awhile. " He stood in a reverent silence.

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A/N: And so the obligatory sacrifice of the canonical love interest has been made - may you move on to happier, greener pastures, Marie. Please let me know what you think. I try very hard to keep in-character and in the tone of the show - a bit of comedy here, a bit of exposition there, and plenty of drama to go around.

My actual writing isn't the most poetic, I know. I like to think of it as a trade-off for writing in an on-screen pace. And there isn't going to be a lot of direct interaction between Giriko and Justin for quite a long while to come, so, boo hoo. But I do have quite a plot ahead - trust me, it'll be cool. Oh, and I watched the show dubbed first, but I really love Justin's japanese voice, so that's why he will be the only one speaking in weeaboo with '-san's. Please drop a note - they are the blood source of fanfic writers.


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